The present invention relates generally to control of light emitting diode (LED) devices and in particular to control of LED backlights using pulse width modulation.
A light emitting diode, or LED, comprises a diode that emits visible light when current passes through it. LEDs have several applications. Certain display devices, for example, but not limited to, aircraft cockpit displays, use an array of LEDs to backlight and illuminate a liquid crystal display (LCD). Controlling the amount of light emitted by the LED array is desirable to adjust the brightness of the display. The brightness level impacts the ease with which the display may be viewed under certain lighting conditions, such as bright sunlight or dark environments; and individual viewer comfort level with the display.
In some applications, the brightness level is more than a convenience factor. For example, in the aviation environment, if the display is illuminated too brightly at night, the excessive brightness may adversely impact the pilot's night vision. Impaired night vision adversely impacts the safety of flight.
The brightness level additionally impacts the amount of power required to operate the device as well as the heat given off by the display. Power consumption affects the length of time the device can operate on battery power and the electrical load placed on the vehicle power supply systems. The heat given off by the display also affects what, if any, cooling of the display and surrounding equipment is required. Cooling devices add cost and complexity to equipment and systems. In aircraft/spacecraft applications, cooling systems add unwanted additional weight to the vehicle. Furthermore, if the display generates too much heat, touching or otherwise operating the display may cause discomfort to the user.
The amount of light emitted by the diode can be controlled by controlling the amount of power supplied to the diode where power equals voltage times current (P=V*I). In certain prior art devices, a microprocessor device is coupled to drive circuitry that controls the LED display brightness. In such designs, a technique known as pulse width modulation (PWM) is used to control the power supplied to the device. Under control of the microprocessor, the drive circuitry supplies current to the LED for a predetermined amount of time, or one pulse width. In this manner, by varying the number of pulses received and the width of the pulses, the total power supplied to the LED, and hence the brightness can be controlled.
One significant limitation on this prior art design is that the pulse frequency and duration are limited by the resolution with which the pulse frequency and width can be defined by the microprocessor. For this reason, it is not always possible to control the LED display with the specificity and precision desired. This fact may result in the LED display being too bright at one setting, but too dark at the next available setting. In an aviation environment, this fact can cause the cockpit display to be illuminated too brightly at night even on the lowest available setting.
Correction of the above deficiencies cannot presently be accomplished without a complete redesign of the microprocessor/driver hardware. Redesign is frequently impractical because often, the pulse width modulation output of the microprocessor is part of a predefined set of operations purchased with the selected microprocessor chip; and its resolution is limited by the number of bits the microprocessor can output. Redesign of standard LED drive circuit hardware is also undesirable due to the cost of custom designing and fabricating such circuits.